Business Directories

Crystal to build world’s largest lagoon in Egypt

Dubai, September 19, 2010

Crystal Lagoons, creator of largest crystalline lagoon based in Chile, has announced plans to develop the largest navigable crystalline lagoon in the world, in Sharm El Sheikh on Egypt’s Red Sea coast.

Besides this 12 hectare lagoon, the project features another 10 giant lagoons that in total hold more than 100 hectares of crystal clear water in the middle of the desert, said a top company official.

The first lagoon will be inaugurated in early 2011, said Fernando Fischmann, creator and owner of Crystal Lagoons. At present, the largest crystal lagoon in the world is in Chile, he added.

“The project is the result of our association with Golden Pyramids Plaza, owned by the Sharbatly family. We have also sealed strategic alliances for a number of other tourism developments including the Amer Group’s Soma Bay, in Hurghada, a $1.2 billion investment that will be operational in 2012,” he added.

The mammoth project will be showcased at the Cityscape Global expo, an integral part of the largest business-to-business property investment and development event brand, to be held October 4-7 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

The event will also feature some of Crystal Lagoons’ most spectacular projects, all developed with an exclusive worldwide patent.

According to Fischmann, the company will unveil 50 of its ongoing and planned developments throughout the Middle East, including 12 projects in Egypt.

Besides these projects, other developments are being planned in Cairo and in the new resorts near to Alexandria, he revealed.

“In all of these projects Crystal provides something that until now was neither technical nor economically possible - the construction and low cost maintenance of monumental masses of water in a crystalline state that allows a beach life environment and top level aquatic sports within a city,' Fischmann explained.

'These crystal clear lagoons form an impressive artificial paradise, even in the most inhospitable climates. Technically it is a very challenging process and a unique concept adaptable to rain forests, marshes, deserts or urban sprawls,' the official said.

'They can also be created on overcrowded or eroded coastlines and breathe new life into previously contaminated rivers,” he added.

On the other projects, Fischmann said in Dubai Crystal Lagoons was now close to completing the first stage of the ground breaking $1.2 billion, Dubai Lagoons project, located in Downtown Dubai.

Crystal Lagoons will construct, maintain and provide technical support for initially a pilot lagoon, before the end of 2010, prior to taking responsibility for all of the main water features through the development.

The design of this urban project makes it possible to bring a beach lifestyle to the city. The residential development was 80 per cent pre-sold thanks in part to this revolutionary crystalline lagoon concept.

'This is the first of several projects in association with Schön Properties, with other upcoming projects in Pakistan and Oman,' he added.

The company also has developments under construction in Morocco, Oman and Saudi Arabia – one that will be incorporated to the world’s next tallest building in Jeddah.

Crystal Lagoons is also studying proposals with key developers in other cities such as Abu Dhabi. In addition, it has other significant projects in Morocco, Fischmann said.

According to him, Crystal Lagoons also has a development project in Jordan.

“Dead Sea Lagoon”, in association with Sama Jordan, owned by the Bani Hani family, is located near the Dead Sea coast with an investment of $250 million, he added.-TradeArabia News Service